Features Railway Architecture and Design

The New Railways—A Complex Design Task

Christian Steguweit
chance of merging the identity and im- the image of the overall railways prod-
Prologue age of a company. uct. In outward appearance, the railway
The individual elements from all areas station should articulate the promise of a
A new era in the history of German rail- (technical apparatus, marketing, etc.) of product that the customer can rely on.
ways was launched with the creation of DB, which make up its image, must be Railway travel is a non-material product
the company Deutsche Bahn AG (DB). combined purposefully to form an over- consisting of the actual transport plus a
This article explains how DB can turn into all picture conveying an unmistakeable large number of services, some already
the symbol of an efficient, convenient, corporate image through corporate de- operating, others still to be created by
ecological and comfortable means of sign. customer demand.
transport, by applying brand marketing Corporate design is the visible outer skin Additionally, the importance of offering
and corporate design concepts. In the and structure creating a corporate inter- the customer an aesthetic experience has
end, the purpose of all entrepreneurial relatedness. The ‘Deutsche Bahn’ brand either been underestimated, or simply
railway activities is to transfer more traf- name functions as a kind of bracket en- disregarded so far, although it is a funda-
fic onto rails. compassing all company divisions that mental requirement if customers are to
differ in appearance, depending on the gain confidence. The overall design, the
nature of their activities, and can devel- interior appointment and, of course, the
Corporate Design: The Brief op divisional sub-identities. Within this architecture of station buildings as aes-
kind of organization, the passenger traf- thetic space to be experienced, are just
Shortly after the economic reform of the fic business is of special significance. The as essential as the design and interior
railways through privatization, DB faced new passenger stations division was furnishings of railway carriages. The re-
a fundamental internal reform and re- therefore constituted in addition to the construction or new construction of the
vised its corporate organization in a pro- long-distance services and suburban/ majority of the 6,500 German railway sta-
cess of critical self-examination. Its short-distance services divisions because tions represents a highly complex task,
corporate identity was reformulated. The the railway station is essential to shaping requiring extensive and detailed planning
former insular approach to the various
railway brands, trying to put an individ-
ual face on each product, was replaced
by a harmonized design for all railway
sections (passenger stations, long-dis-
tance and suburban/short-distance lines,
goods transport and haulage). This facil-
itates clearer and simpler handling of the
DB brand.
But the clear self-definition of DB is only
the first step in establishing the railway
product as a reliable brand. The new cor-
porate identity of a future-oriented, but
tried-and-tested business, must be put
across adequately by means of a new cor-
porate design among other things. This
concept entails coordinating all strategic
and operative activities. In the future,
the conceptual work, planning and im-
plementation of advertising, product de-
sign, interior design and architecture will
be coordinated and harmonized, because
corporate design is the essential interface
with customers. Only when corporate
Counter in Aschaffenburg Travel Centre Designed by Studio De Lucchi, Commended at 1996 Brunel Awards
design is well thought out, is there a (DBAG)

22 Japan Railway & Transport Review • January 1997 Copyright © 1997 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
taking into account many individual fac-
tors. In terms of function, the railway sta-
tion should be an ultra-modern service
and communications centre. Achieving
such a transformation is only possible by
implementing stringent design concepts
signifying both the aim of renewal and
the new DB concept.
The launch of an innovative corporate
design for Germany’s railway network re-
quires an unusual measure of creativity.
Deutsche Bahn gives proof of its open-
ness and progressive thinking in choos-
ing competent partners, architects and
designers. Many experts are being con-
sulted for the conceptual work, especially
through workshops where basic ideas are
drawn up.
Corporate Design: The Aim
Deutsche Bahn sells a non-material prod-
uct—travel by rail. That has always been
the case, but the things people associate
with a train journey were subject to con-
stant change. For a long time, despite
excellent preconditions such as long tra-
dition, low prices and continual techni-
cal renewal, rail travel had an aura that
Ticket Counter in Westerland
Copyright © 1997 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
did not make it seem high quality. This
is still true today.
In the long-term, the Deutsche Bahn
brand name should be associated with
an improvement in the living standards
of every citizen. Corporate culture and
personality as well as sophisticated cus-
tomer demands should lead to a new cul-
ture of railway travel. No other mode of
travel offers the same opportuniy for re-
laxation as well as time for communica-
tion or business. The convenient and fast
interconnected schedules of high-speed
trains must therefore be coordinated with
all other services. The product must work
on several levels and generally keep its
promise to the market with regard to both
technical standards and customers’
needs. Fulfilling the latter requires more
than just functionality.
The new concept DB has of itself as a
modern and dynamic service supplier has
to be demonstrated in progressive tech-
nical facilities and in the ensemble of its
configurations presenting a visibly uni-
fied whole.
To succeed in competition with other
means of transport (car and aeroplane),
the point has to be reached where peo-
ple associate abstract, railway-specific
(DBAG)
Japan Railway & Transport Review • January 1997
values with a main journey. And to suc-
cessfully compete with private rail oper-
ators, these values must be associated
exclusively with DB. Taking a DB train
must become a clearly recognizable
brand item.
Even before the journey, at the start of
the so-called travel chain, and in any case
on entering the station, the traveller must
be tuned in to the coming trip—no mat-
ter whether they are travelling on busi-
ness, or as a tourist. Leaving the station
at the destination should not be an es-
cape; arriving should be the pleasant last
stage of a smooth and pleasant trip, en-
sured by a clear sequence of events. The
nodes—break points in a train journey—
are of particular importance to the trav-
eller, because this is where they make
decisions; this is where travellers are es-
pecially observant and perceive the var-
ious elements of their surroundings with
more than usual attentiveness(1).
The user-friendliness of the station is con-
siderably enhanced by clearly organized
design elements turning the concourse
into a space that makes travelling easier.
Functionality is important for the station’s
usability and public acceptance. If the
aesthetic features and atmosphere of the
railway station are to be points of attrac-
tion, then the normal transport operations
must be inconspicuous. The station
should function without travellers con-
stantly coming face-to-face with the mere
functioning of railway transport. The rail-
way station can also be an architectural
treasure, but this seems to have been for-
gotten.
DB can take recourse to a valuable store
of established architecture and should
use this actively for its trademark image.
The long tradition of the railways can be
used for promotion, and the accentua-
tion of historic railway buildings can
be interwoven in a meaningful and aes-
thetically harmonious way wxith the new
corporate design and with modern con-
temporary architecture.
23
Railway Architecture and Design
Actually, for a long time, railways ne-
glected the emotional side—the rail-af-
fine components of train travel—from the
ticket machines and the design of vehi-
cles down to the use and architecture of
station buildings, especially with regard
to aesthetics.
Aspects of perceptual psychology as well
as customer habits and trends must be
integrated into the overall design so the
customer can identify with the product.
Form is shaped by a complex environ-
ment bearing functional, structural, tech-
nical, social, historical and many other
characteristics. Even in this maze of con-
ditions, desires, habits, and fashions, one
cannot maintain form that ‘follows’.
Form does not follow anything. It evolves
in a way about which we know very lit-
tle(2). The DB design strategy addresses
the largest possible range of customer
acceptance and reactions.
Of course, railway stations must be func-
tional, but they should be more than a
mere instrument for satisfying a basic
need(3). They also have to address aes-
thetic and emotional demands. Deutsche
Bahn must use its chance of meeting such
demands.
The aim is a combination of functional
efficiency and abstract meaning. On one
side, there is the building engineering,
but on the other side, there is the whole
sphere of expression; the attempt to use
the structural forms in such a way as to
convey the meaning of the building to
the spectator and user, and enable them,
with a fuller response on their side, to
participate in its functions—feeling more
courtly when entering a palace, more
pious in a church, more studious in a
university, more businesslike and efficient
in an office, and more citizenlike, more
cooperative and responsible, more
proudly conscious of the community,
when going about the city and partici-
pating in its life(4).
The DB customer should feel more in-
clined to travel by rail. At present, the
24 Japan Railway & Transport Review • January 1997
Stuttgart Bahnhof 21 Computer Simulation
image of the railway station considerably
impairs the image of the product called
train journey. We must aim to achieve
the opposite.
Revision
To answer the question whether and how
DB can convey its identity and product
to potential customers, it is useful to take
a short excursion into the history of the
railway station and its public reception.
Architecture
The railway station as a permanent ar-
chitectural manifestation has not just
been important for customers entering it;
it has also been the centre of urban life.
In most cases, the railway station occu-
pies an unrivalled prime location in the
heart of the city or in another convenient
central position, connected to other trans-
port networks. Persons on business or
tourists almost always pass through a
town’s railway station.
The railway station of the future must be
an attractive place that does not have to
be avoided at all costs. It should be giv-
en another chance of becoming a vibrant
part of a polycentric urban layout, inte-
(DBAG)
grated in its socio-cultural and econom-
ic infrastructure.
The Bahnhof 21 project, among others
at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, offers such
opportunities. An underground railway
station is to be built in the next 15 years.
The station building by Bonatz and Scho-
eler will be largely preserved with the
access to the underground platform hall
covered by a glazed roof. The most dra-
matic change will be the relocation of
the tracks in an underground tunnel
through the city to the terminus, freeing
large areas for housing or business parks.
The station neighbourhood will be im-
proved because it will be less noisy and
polluted, improving the image of train
travel as a result.
In addition, shops and offices, etc., will
be integrated into the railway station
buildings, creating a pleasant space
where people will want to go and replac-
ing the present dingy snack bars and cin-
emas which repel everybody including
passengers. Letting shops and offices at
a railway station requires an appropriate
neighbourhood ambience.
The Lehrter Bahnhof project in Berlin is
an excellent example of how business
uses and railway operations are com-
bined in one complex through which 30
Copyright © 1997 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
million passengers are expected to pass
every year. The station will no longer be
regarded as an isolated building, but as
an element within an overall urban ar-
chitectural ensemble. Perfect integration
with local infrastructure becomes self-
evident, and the flows of regional and
inter-regional traffic will mesh smoothly.
The new railway stations will be modern
service and communication centres, with
rail travel as the main service. Their ar-
chitectural configuration and design will
convey the DB image to potential cus-
tomers, local inhabitants and visitors. An
up-to-date transport architecture creates
a balance between the progressive and
the timeless.
Mumford speaks of buildings, ‘...designed
with utmost rigour for effective opera-
tion....’ and says, ‘But these buildings
have at least the quality of all organic cre-
ations; they identify themselves and so
symbolize the function they serve. When
a steam locomotive is fully developed,
for example, so that all its excrescences
and technological left-overs are absorbed
in a slick overall design, “streamlined”
..., that locomotive not merely is more
speedy than the primitive form, but it says
speed, too’(5).
The Station’s Public Appeal
In the 19th century, railway stations were
seen as the cathedrals of transport and
the new city gates. To travel by train was
a fascinating experience, even though
this mode of transport was very uncom-
fortable for most. The architecture of sta-
tion buildings reflected the fact that rail
travel was held in high esteem. Almost
no other historic edifice was built to such
grand architectural designs. There was
an air of luxury surrounding rail travel,
and the station was a grand and lively
place radiating a noble atmosphere.
However, basic structural changes in the
early 20th century led to the decline of
Copyright © 1997 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
railway stations—their aura and outer
and inner appearance—and this had a
devastating effect on the value attributed
to train journeys.
After the emergence of mechanized and
industrial mass production during the
second half of 19th century, mechaniza-
tion also entered the people’s private lives
at the beginning of the 20th century. As
technology produced a constant stream
of new products, people in cities had less
money to spend.
Most people working in cities also lived
there and used local transport. The de-
velopment came full circle with the
means of transport entering people’s daily
lives in the 1920s as the car, which was
increasingly seen as a mobile household
object and which is the last part of an
American’s belongings that he or she
would part with(6). The American’s affin-
ity to the car as personal property applies
to Germans to an even larger degree. The
Volkswagen, or ‘people’s car’, became
every German’s dream. Conversely, the
railways and their stations, were de-per-
sonalized.
The railways no longer provide great
technical fascination. People have lost
their emotional ties to railways and are
now emotionally attached to their own
private property. No more money is spent
on the architecture of railway stations,
instead traffic planners press ahead with
road networks. The railway station is
reduced to a mere stop where one spends
the shortest possible time—a mere neces-
sity.
After World War II, destroyed railway sta-
tions were reconstructed to post-war
functionalist designs. Makeshift annex-
es were added to historic buildings(7) and
gradually fell into decline.
The economic boom of the 1950s was
accompanied by far-reaching changes in
lifestyles and living standards. The vari-
ous crazes—like the eating craze, the
travel craze, the car craze—held enor-
mous fascination and conquered new
Japan Railway & Transport Review • January 1997
consumer groups, capturing both the in-
dividual and collective imagination(8). By
contrast, railways appeared old-fash-
ioned and became the transport of senior
citizens and people without a car. The
outer appearance of station buildings cor-
responded to this attitude. Already in
1967, one observer remarked, ‘Uneasi-
ness befalls me when I face the style of
German reconstruction, and many of you
who are confronted with such buildings,
just as much as any professional expert,
will share this feeling’(9).
The car seemed indispensable due to its
apparent independence, and consequent-
ly the railway stations lost the significance
and architectural quality of the 19th cen-
tury. Stations joined Sleeping Beauty in a
kind of aesthetic slumber from the 1950s
to 1990s followed by an unpleasant awak-
ening with regard to their architectural
design and slump in passenger market
share from 36% to just under 6%.
Status quo
Today the cities with their high property
values and cost-of-living are no longer
the centres of manufacturing industry
which long since migrated to the urban
periphery, increasingly making itself de-
pendent on motorway infrastructure.
Formerly, railway networks were prereq-
uisites for the establishment and devel-
opment of industrial ventures, but they
have experienced a change in function;
both the cities of the late 20th century
and those of the next century will be cen-
tres of services and communication tech-
nology. The products of these economic
sectors are non-material, meaning fewer
goods to transport, so the urban railway
stations will primarily serve passenger
transport.
This facilitates restructuring and recon-
struction of railway stations as suggest-
ed. Interconnection with urban freight
stations becomes obsolete since any busi-
ness or industry near a railway station will
not necessarily rely on rail haulage. Con-
25
Railway Architecture and Design
sequently, the design of railway stations
can be based for the most part on the re-
quirements of passengers—goods haul-
age should be served elsewhere. The
railway stations must adapt to a society
that is largely affluent middle class. Rail-
way customers have changed. For a long
time, the railways were considered relief
transport for the poorer classes; today, the
middle class and business travellers are
its customers.
There are numerous reasons for not tak-
ing the car. The stronger awareness of
ecological considerations has perma-
nently injured the car’s image. Driving
along congested roads is frustrating, and
large cities experience regular traffic
jams. Car theft, lack of parking spaces
and dark multi-storey car parks dampen
the car enthusiast’s spirits. By contrast,
the railways are again evoking positive
associations of an increased ecological
compatibility.
Two key constituent parts of the rail-
ways—transport and service—must be
brought together. The big gap between
the technically highly-refined transport in
high-speed trains, and neglected servic-
es, must be filled in terms of design.
Deutsche Bahn now has the chance of
giving shape to the idea of a sophisticat-
ed, cultured way of rail travel.
How can DB react to the changes in so-
cial conditions? Deutsche Bahn, with its
corporate design strategy, has set out on
the right track to meeting the largest pos-
sible range of customer needs. It offers
new products and services which cus-
tomers accept as convenient, practical,
pleasant, or simply as a good brand item.
Corporate Design:
The Concept
The acceptance of the rail travel product
and of the stations must be taken into ac-
count much more in the conceptual work
on an overall design. The main theme of
the railway station should be travel and
26 Japan Railway & Transport Review • January 1997
all activities pertaining to that. Every
building performs work, if it is only to
keep off the rain or to remain upright
against the wind(10).
The emotional attachment of the custom-
er to the product of rail travel, and the
identification of this product with DB,
must turn into an awareness of a brand
item. Reliance will be created by visual-
izing a clear and enduring corporate
structure. Aesthetic features can perma-
nently influence the impression an ob-
server has of a corporation. So a person
entering a station again feels close to the
train journey. The unified overall appear-
ance of the corporation through corpo-
rate design is defined by innovation and
confidence. Unified aesthetic standards
complement and emphasize the individ-
uality of the station. An architecture
worthy of preservation, as well as local
colour, gives a distinct personality to each
railway station.
The corporate design is based on the prin-
ciples of overall unity and diversity of in-
dividual elements. The new railway
station is designed as a consistently uni-
fied space to be experienced, satisfying
every customer’s demand of it. The new
concept of passenger stations is essen-
tially determined by three factors: qual-
ity, economy and customer as focus. This
will be achieved by a unified brand im-
age with permanent features and struc-
tures in keeping with the corporate
identity.
Immediate measures are included in the
three-step programme: safety, cleanli-
ness, and service, are the values custom-
ers should associate with the railways.
Safety could be ensured by increased em-
ployment of security guards at railway
stations, but this can lead to high costs
and also creates an unfriendly controlled
atmosphere. So the feeling of safety
should rather be conveyed by architec-
tural design and appointment of interior
spaces. Transparency and a friendly
ambience are key words. Equally, clean-
liness must be created not only by clean-
ing, but also by use of bright, easy-to-
keep materials, and an architecture
without any slummy corners. Of course,
service is an essential basic prerequisite
for the new concept of passenger stations.
Following the various improved, person-
alized services, the emphasis is on ser-
vice through design.
Findings from qualitative market analyses
and customer interviews by experts form
the basis of the design process. Forward-
looking solutions must be found which do
not just rely on the status quo of present
customer structures.
The basic demand required of compre-
hensive strategic measures is longevity,
requiring a basic agreement on the de-
sign fundamentals and aims. Today’s de-
velopment must remain innovative and
contemporary for a long time. Different
elements may be altered in time within
the basic corporate design structures.
In practical matters (e.g. choice of mate-
rials), the value of longevity must also be
ensured, if only in view of future renova-
tion cycles. In the long-term, design and
technical quality are worth the cost.
In addition to conceptual work, all stra-
tegic activities are managed by the De-
sign Management Division. Project
models are subjected to intensive accep-
tance tests and findings are integrated into
prototypes, some elements of which are
installed at just a few larger stations.
Like the new outward appearance, the
function of the railway station must be
re-defined, too, requiring dynamic re-
form, because its original function has
changed. The fact that this activity is
occurring in so many diverse places (at
least in countries where conservation is
an issue) is proof of the essential place of
the railway station in the history, social
life, arts, and affections of so many large
and small communities. The station was
not only a vital link for each town and
village to its wider locality, region, and
state, it was also a meeting place, com-
Copyright © 1997 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
munity centre, and shopping area. It was
the telegraph office, post office, news-
agent, and vital news and intelligence-
gathering centre in countless towns
around the world. With the fragmenta-
tion of transport facilities and opportuni-
ties, the containerization of freight, and
the rise of the mass media, no other build-
ing will ever have the same all-embrac-
ing role. In that sense, the original
significance of railway stations can nev-
er be resurrected(11).
By combining various infrastructural servic-
es, the railway station can fulfil the needs
of travellers in the best possible way, and
work as a vital centre of activities at the
same time. The railway station should be
a service and communications forum.
Corporate Design:
The Implementation
The new concept of the public presenta-
tion of DB is being implemented in a
number of ways, by means of a quantita-
tive increase in and qualitative improve-
ment of its products (variable tariffs, more
flexible schedules, etc.) among others.
Deutsche Bahn is now setting new stan-
dards for a top-level, all-encompassing
design.
Basic criteria
The criteria for all development steps de-
scribed on the following pages are: lon-
gevity, safety, flexibility and authenticity.
Fundamentals for the choice of form, co-
lour and materials are the basis of fur-
ther activities. All constituent parts of the
corporate design should be simple, time-
less, functional, yet innovative in detail.
Like other firms with an unmistakable
trademark colour (red for Coca-Cola, yel-
low for Lufthansa, etc.), as a first step,
DB decided on corporate colours of red,
grey (two shades), dark-blue, and light-
blue. The colour range was restricted in
favour of a clear, easily-recognizable
catchy design.
Copyright © 1997 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
DB AG Platform Designed by von Gerkan of Marg & Partners, Winner of 1996 Brunel Awards
The entire range of possible materials was
combed; durable and authentic material
standards, complementing the corporate
colours, were chosen. Natural materials
like wood, stainless steel, aluminium,
natural fabrics and leather were chosen
replacing interior materials differentiat-
ed by veneers or coatings.
Graphics
Professor Kurt Weidemann designed the
new graphics in cooperation with DB,
giving evidence of the corporation’s in-
novative intention. The old DB logo was
revised with care taken not to impair its
recognizability. However, compared to
the old logo, it appears simpler, more suc-
cinct and up-to-date.
Trains
Deutsche Bahn trains now appear as a
uniform group; the different colours of
local/suburban and long-distance trains
were replaced by a uniform colour
scheme in the corporate colours red and
white. Various elements create a differ-
entiation; horizontal colour strips for
long-distance trains, and vertical articu-
lation (emphasis of doors) for local/
suburban trains. The formal design vo-
cabulary applied to railway trains denotes
Japan Railway & Transport Review • January 1997
(DBAG)
their belonging to a family. All DB trains
have the same basic form, with the head
designs varying according to the train
type.
The interior appointments follow the ba-
sic principles of the corporation’s design:
leather, wood, and woven wool carpets
in 1st class compartments, natural fab-
rics and wood in 2nd class.
Train platforms
The design of the platform furniture is
geared to creating a cool and calm ap-
pearance, apt to help travellers find their
bearings immediately before departure or
after alighting. Platforms are divided into
circulation and waiting areas. Just a few
basic high-quality materials are used;
stainless steel, mild steel, glass and uni-
formly-coated surfaces, in a clear ar-
rangement. Individual seats, benches
and props are of laminated wood and
aluminium.
At the same time, all service amenities
on the platforms have been redecorated
to present a uniform picture—advertis-
ing boards, drinks machines, phone
booths, waste bins with separate contain-
ers for different kinds of rubbish, and
important information carriers made con-
spicuous by their design. Ticket ma-
27
Railway Architecture and Design
chines, carriage displays, clocks and
emergency call boxes are clearly marked
as basic pieces of platform furniture and
elements of the train journey, helping
passengers find their way or pass the
waiting time pleasantly.
A new lighting system creates subtle am-
bience. The present space lighting will
be replaced by systems providing spot
lighting for certain areas and variation of
light intensities for others.
Lighting systems will be integrated into
platform roofs. The prevailing dreary
roofs of the Essen and Frankfurt type will
be replaced by roofs designed by von
Gerkan of Marg and Partners and by the
civil engineering consultancy Schlaich
und Schuck.
Service areas
Special attention has been paid to the de-
sign of service facilities. The results of
various workshops and analyses were
used for a customer-oriented design. In-
terior and product design have played a
big role.
Under the heading of a friendly railway
station, concourses are equipped with
dumbwaiters and service points, lending
them character and enlivening them.
These elements are just the beginning of
a long-term overall design concept for re-
newing railway stations.
Travel Centres
The newly-installed Travel Centres have
meant a comprehensive refurbishment of
an essential part of railway stations. They
occupy a prime position in the customer
contact and are symbols of transport per-
formance and competence. Profession-
al, well-designed workspaces also
contribute to motivating employees. Pro-
fessional competence, reliability and,
above all, friendliness make up the Trav-
el Centre’s personality. Speedy and reli-
able information and advice in a peaceful
atmosphere should be the norm.
Four basic services—self-service, infor-
28 Japan Railway & Transport Review • January 1997
mation, sales and advice/consulting—
allow flexible use and even distribution
of customer streams in the Travel Cen-
tres. In particular, customers can browse
at leisure, advised by competent railway
staff. More express-ticket counters will
be installed for business travellers, espe-
cially during peak times. Since new
counters are designed for flexible use,
they can react quickly to changing situa-
tions. Information on LCD panels can
be updated instantly. The information
counter offering specials for leisure trav-
ellers can be transformed within seconds
into an express-ticket counter giving cur-
rent information on a change of platform
for departing trains, or on connections.
Furthermore, the Travel Centre is a com-
petent travel partner due to its connections
with local transport systems, car-hire firms
and airlines. By serving customers at stand-
up counters, and advising them at sit-down
desks, the Centres offer a balance between
quick information and the services of a
travel agent.
The Travel Centre is the heart of the rail-
way station; everything here is focused
on travel. The main design elements are
open and inviting backlit counters. The
Travel Fresh
simple language of the individual units,
in combination with a restrained colour
scheme and high-quality materials
(wood, glass, stainless steel) creates a
matter-of-fact but attractive ambience,
enhanced by appropriate lighting. The
overall space is perfectly appointed with
composite stone flooring, sound-absorb-
ing ceilings, and blinds of natural wood.
With regard to the technical side, the vari-
able system fits in with the existing build-
ing structures of the railway station. The
restrained aesthetics of the Centres inserts
itself harmoniously into the station archi-
tecture.
The prototype for all Travel Centres, in
Aschaffenburg, is framed by glass walls,
giving a view of the tracks and platforms.
The 1950s architecture is supplemented,
matched in style, and, at the same time,
contrasted with transparency. Subse-
quent Travel Centres are to be character-
ized by transparency as well. Glazed
enclosing walls and glass lighting masts
will point the way.
Travel Stopover
The comfort of the traveller before, dur-
ing and after a train journey is determined
(DBAG)
Copyright © 1997 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
by adequate waiting and resting spaces.
The railway is not meant to be an inter-
face for transport connections, quickly
traversed, but an inviting place to stop
and rest. The new spaces called ‘Reise
pause’ (Travel Stopover) fill a vacuum cre-
ated by the elimination of the old wait-
ing halls. The customer is no longer
forced to spend stopovers in a drafty con-
course, or restaurants and snackbars.
Instead, customers can spend time in var-
ious waiting spaces designed for differ-
ent groups; business travellers, families,
youths and senior citizens—each can find
a space suited to their needs. The ‘Relax
Tunnel’ offers rest and concentration, the
waiting room offers amenities for children
to play, the conference room has the nec-
essary communications technology. The
Travel Stopover hall also comprises a res-
taurant and left luggage deposit. The ba-
sic organizational element of the waiting
zone is a space grid allowing the great-
est possible degree of flexibility. It can
be fitted into any railway station without
major reconstruction, and the various
spaces can be enlarged or made smaller
using movable partitions.
The interior decor of Travel Stopover ar-
eas is different. Standard elements, des-
ignating function, are the same at every
station. Reception is symbolized by a big
green apple in front of a wall in signal-
lamp red. The children’s play barrel is a
fresh light-green, and the rest area is qui-
et blue. These colours supplement the
simplicity of solid materials like wood,
natural stone, leather and stainless steel.
The Travel Stopover serves customers’ ba-
sic needs for warmth, human scale, well-
being, freedom of movement and
comfort. The main product of the rail-
way station, fast and direct transport con-
nections, is supplemented by space and
time for relaxation.
Copyright © 1997 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
Travel Fresh
The toilets of railway stations are pres-
ently in a desolate state; many travellers
avoid them entirely, considering them
dangerous and dirty, and only using them
in an emergency and hastily leaving. The
new Travel Fresh spaces have toilets as
well as rooms for body care and make-
up.
All these new amenities are inserted into
existing station buildings based on each
station’s local situation and context. In
rebuilding or restructuring a railway sta-
tion, the architecture retains the individ-
ual character which is integrated into a
new overall concept. Preservation and
enhancement of valuable historic build-
ings is a major goal. The timeless design
of new elements and their careful inte-
gration into the existing structures will
neither outshine nor destroy historic ar-
chitectural aesthetics.
Epilogue
First reactions to measures such as the
pilot Travel Centre in Aschaffenburg, have
been very positive. Both users and the
media are impressed. The corporation
now has to ensure that this positive im-
pression, still mingled with appreciative
astonishment is confirmed. The new ser-
vice facilities at railway stations and the
completely new emphasis of the aesthetic
side of their appearance set widely-not-
ed high-quality standards that DB must
maintain and improve.
In future, such continuous improvements
Christian Steguweit
Christian Steguweit is the head of the Concept and Planning Department of Deutsche Bahn AG
and is managing director of DEKOH. Before joining DBAG, he worked as the Head of Central
Marketing Lufthansa. Mr Steguweit also contributed the article ‘Tomorrow’s Railway Stations’ in
JRTR 6.
Japan Railway & Transport Review • January 1997
and innovations will be integrated into
the present design concept. Like every
other corporate design, the overall
design of DB must give proof of a per-
manently high level of innovative imagi-
nation, creativity and, above all,
sensitivity. Corporate design is the ideal
instrument for processing the constant-
ly-changing needs of customers and thus
shaping the DB service enterprise. In this
way, the corporation will maintain its up-
to-date development level. ■
Notes
0(1) Kevin Lynch, Das Bild der Stadt, Bauwelt Fun-
damente 16, ed. by Ulrich Conrads, Berlin/
Frankfurt/Vienna 1965
0(2) Julius Posener, Was Architektur sein konn, Basle
1995, p.38
0(3) Tilo Schabert, Stadtarchitektur–Spiegel der Welt,
Zurich 1990, p.103
0(4) Lewis Mumford, Art and Technics , New York
1952, p.112
0(5) Ibid., p.116
0(6) Sigfried Giedion, Die Herrschaft der Mecha-
nisierung, Frankfurt 1982, p.64
0(7) Ulrich Krings, Bahnhofsarchitektur. Deutsche
Großstadtbahnhöfe des Historismus, Munich
1985
0(8) Thomas Ziehe, Vom Lebensstandard zum Le-
hensstil, In: Wolfgang Welsch (ed.) Die Aktual-
ität des Ästhetischen, Munich 1993, p.69
0(9) Theodor W. Adorno, Ohne Leitbild, Parva Aes-
thetica, Frankfurt 1967, p. 104
(10) Gerhard Schultze, Die Erlebnisgesellschaft. Kul-
tursoziologie der Gegenwart, Frankfurt/New
York 1992, p.36
(11) Jeffrey Richards/John MacKenzie, The Railway
Station, Oxford/New York 1986, p.394
29